Chris Lombardi puts defense and security under the spotlight, as he shares his takes on recent NATO and EU cooperation and provides insight into the company’s own long-term strategic partnerships in Europe.

Three trends are currently driving the global electricity sector: decarbonization, decentralization and differentiation. Utilities are making significant contributions to mitigate carbon emissions, while a technology revolution is …

The two sides are at odds over what kind of data should be handed over to US authorities, for how long it should be kept and for what purpose it should be used. The US wants to retain passenger data for seven years, while the Commission says it should be a maximum of three.

Hutchinson said the gap with Europe was narrowing on how long the data should be kept: “We are now four years apart; we were seven before.”

“Seven years is… a very short time if you want to investigate terrorism,” he said, adding that he hoped the row could be resolved without recourse to the World Trade Organization.

However, European officials claim the US, despite announcing a softening of its position, has only marginally modified its demands.

Under America’s proposed system, passengers would receive a ‘red’ or ‘green’ profile.

“You might get a red profile only because you were travelling by chance to an FBI-designated ‘hot spot’.

“If you happen to have a special diet at the same time…your profile is worse without you knowing it,” one Belgian diplomat remarked.

EU negotiators fear the proposed US system lacks sufficient guarantees against abuses or errors, and wants victims of such abuses and mistakes to be able to challenge their profiles. But Hutchinson counters this by saying a chief policy officer and ombudsman would be appointed.